Curious again: chapter 6 was a bust.
Now it had entered Luna's second day in the city and she was still trying to make sense of her newfound feelings for this older and more multi-faceted version of Yusei. She had also grown to adore whenever she got to touch him in any way. All these factors had managed to shape a dream while she slept.
In this dream, Luna had returned to her former home at the Tops. There wasn't anything to be found inside the penthouse, except for one thing: a lone framed picture of the two at a cotillion of some sort. Luna was dressed as the maid of honor and she had chosen Yusei to dance with her. The image then came alive and the two were doing a waltz in perfect harmony. At the end of the dance, applause congratulates the two for executing a perfect waltz. Luna looks into Yusei's eyes, he looks into hers, and they throw caution to the wind and start to close the gap between their faces. Right before their lips meet, the dream stopped and it was back to reality.
"Wha-what happened?" Luna gasped, sitting up alertly in her bed, only to realize her fantasy finished without an end. "Oh, it was only a dream." She slammed her pillow with her fist in frustration. Very seldom this girl showed displeasure in anything, let alone in romance. Reluctantly, she stepped out of bed and out of her room, only to discover a note on the wall in front of her.
"Luna, it's decent enough outside to open the hot tub for a bit," it read. "It's only going to be a few degrees cooler than yesterday, but I figured you might need something to relax your frayed nerves. Offer's only good 'til eleven a.m. Signed, Yusei."
"A few degrees cooler makes me feel so much better about this heat," the young woman scoffed sarcastically. "Still, if Yusei's gonna be in there with me, maybe I can show off how I've changed physically when we all left New Domino." She dipped back inside her room to contemplate a plan.
With just under an hour until the heat would start cranking up again, Yusei had opened the tub up and took advantage of the bubble jets to soothe his muscles.
"I needed this," he sighed in relaxation over the whirring of the motor. "I sure hope Luna gets up soon." As the bubbling continued to work its magic outside, the college student stepped inside the kitchen, body concealed by a pale green towel, starting to have second thoughts.
"What if this doesn't work? Would he think any different of me?" she quavered mentally. "No, I have to take advantage of this. He's opened his tub to me, and just maybe I can open his heart." Luna gently reeled the sliding door open and treaded out on the deck.
"There she is," Yusei greeted her. "I was hoping you weren't going to sleep too late."
"Yeah, well, I try not to sleep too late into the morning," she minced weakly, fumbling the towel between her hands.
"Aren't you gonna come in?" the scientist quizzed her.
"I'm kinda nervous about this," she admitted. "I'm not as hesitant when I did this at school with my friends."
"And you're saying we're not friends?" he asked again, eyebrow cocked.
"No, no, no, quite the opposite," Luna assured him. "It's just….I'm still trying to get used to being around you after all this time."
"Well, you know me," Yusei vocalized. "It's up to you if you want to come in. I won't think any less of you if you refuse."
"I do want to, but I hope you don't feel uncomfortable seeing me…almost uncovered," the girl confessed.
"I've looked danger in the face countless times and saved the world twice," the scientist reminded her. "I think I'll be fine sharing a dip with you." Realizing his logic couldn't be disproven, she dropped her towel to reveal a figure, shaped by British influence, almost as perfect as a runway model's.
"What do you think?" she asked of her body that was covered in a two piece tie-dye bikini.
"My (ahem) goodness," the young scientist cleared his throat. "That timid and innocent but sweet girl has become a sophisticated and mature young woman."
"You mean that?" she blushed. Yusei's head nodded "yes" in response.
"That means a lot coming from you," Luna sang, dipping her feet, then body into the bubbling water.
"Well, I don't know about it being like that," the scientist tried to dismiss her notion. "But I'm not one to hold my tongue when I see something I like. Since you wowed me with how you look now, the least I could do was tell you what I think of you now."
"Still, it was nice of you to say that," the college girl told him. "On a different note, I have an idea for something we can do in here."
"What would that be?" Yusei questioned her.
"Truth or Dare," she answered with an air of confidence.
"You're on," he smirked with the same confidence. "Ladies first, though."
"Very well: truth or dare?" she questioned her friend.
"Hmm….truth," he quipped.
"If you could make a movie out of any event in your life, what would you choose?" Luna picked out of thin air.
"I'd have my effort to retrieve my runner and meeting you and your brother translated to the silver screen," Yusei summarized.
"Tell me why," the girl requested.
"Getting my runner back required a lot of waiting and me having to get a temporary new identity," he listed. "Plus, I got chased by the cops and crashed after that duel, where you and Leo found me."
"I'd pay to see that movie," the girl announced.
"Good to know, now it's my turn," the older male voiced. "Truth or dare?"
"I think I'll go truth too," Luna eyed.
"What were you thinking when you learned your abroad thing was bringing you home?" Yusei quizzed her.
"I was ecstatic," she revealed. "I was eager to see everything that had changed or remained in eight years. Plus, I knew that I wanted to see you again, but this….this is even better."
"I'm glad to hear that," Yusei commented.
"Time for Round 2," the girl tittered. "What's it gonna be?"
"I'll go dare this time," he selected. This was the perfect chance to gain some serious ground and perhaps test the waters.
"Close your eyes and you'll find out," she asked of him. Sure enough, his eyelids covered the blue gems that were his eyes and leaned in, her lips stopping mere millimeters before his.
"I won't kiss him here now," she pondered. "That can wait." She rotated over to his left and gently pecked where his criminal mark streamed right out from under his eye.
"Thank you, for everything," Luna whispered.
Hopefully this makes up for the mess that Ch. 6 could be perceived as. How do you all think the "truth or dare" thing fit into this part? Review if you wish on this chapter and the previous one. Why are some chapters becoming hit or miss? Someone please tell me.